The Fujifilm Finepix Real3D compact camera is a big, bold step into the third dimension for amateur photographers, letting you drop in depth perception to all your stills without the need for two separate snappers or crass green and red goggles. But is the lack of 3D screens lying around the average home too much of a hurdle to stride over? Read on and find out in our Fujifilm Finepix Real3D review.
If the last experiment you had with 3D was with a playing card from a box of Shreddies back in the day, know this: 3D has come on leaps and bounds. Case in point: the Fujifilm Finepix Real3D, which shoots with the regular colour gamut of 2D shots, and unlike the Minoru 3D webcam we tried out earlier this year, doesn’t require glasses to peep its impact.
Yup, the Fujifilm Finepix Real3D fires off 3D shots (And perfectly reasonable 2D shots at 10 megapixels too) and stores them on a regular SD card. But give that playback button a pop and you’ll see the snap on the special lenticular screen, and the effect is stunning. Take a shot of a kitchen sink and the tap leaps out at your eyes; take a landscape shot and you’ll be able to tell just how far bystanders are away. It’s an eyepopping visual effect, and one even a short sighted tester was able to detect.
The Fujifilm Finepix Real3D’s 3D shooting tech is much smarter if you dive below the surface: you can let it run on auto for mid to long distance shots, but for close up macro shooting, the manual mode is needed. It’s smart and easy to use: take one shot with one sensor, then line up the shot again for the next sensor and press fire. There’s even 3D video at VGA quality, but it’s no good for close-ups, unfortunately.
Read our Samsung WB1000 review here
Now the downers. We have a few gripes with the build of the Fujifilm Finepix Real3D: we’re not fussed about the hulking size (There are two lenses in there, come on) or massive power brick charger, but we’d have preferred a power button to sliding the shutter down to power on, and wider navigation buttons on the back. But the real problem isn’t with the Fujifilm Finepix Real3D itself, it’s the lack of existing viewing options. Other than the small screen on the picturebox itself, you’ve got the choice of a £399 Fujifilm photo frame, or special prints made to order at £3.99 a pop from www.fujifilmreal3d.com. It’s a real shame TVs aren’t up to the task, but Fujifilm has done everything in its power to broaden your options besides.
Still though, if you’re a shutterbug sucker for the latest kit, there’s no way the Fujifilm Finepix Real3D will do anything other than knock your socks off, then beat them senseless. The rest of the world is still sadly playing catch up to this, but when they get there, huffing and puffing, you’ll be waiting with a big grin and the Fujifilm FinePix Real3D in hand. Cheese!
